If God Is A Contradiction Then He Does Not Exist

It started already before that (for example with the frankish people christianizing everything north of them and south of Denmark). Thor and Odin and the like once were very popular among pretty much every germanic people it seems. Not only in Scandinavia. But that doesn't change that he never showed up with his hammer to save his proud followers or battle Jesus (except to make thunderstorms of course)

 

Faith, according to Martin Luther, is a "joyful bet". I find that useful as a working definition. A bet isn't synonymous with ignorance. It's a strategy for proceeding in conditions of uncertainty, or if you prefer, ignorance. Presumably you display a modicum of faith when you engage in these forum discussions. You probably believe that the people you're arguing with are real and not figments of your imagination. This is what Santayana calls "animal faith"--the minimal "hop of faith" that gets us past solipsism. Beyond that, the level of faith is a function of risk tolerance. But not risking is itself a risk--as many of us find out the hard way if we've simply saved for retirement rather than invested. One way or another we bet our lives, and must therefore be careful on what we bet on.

I see the problem as essentially the same as that of political behavior. In a world of competing politicians, many or most of them charlatans, who do you believe and vote for. Some people are so disgusted with the process that they retreat from it completely, leaving the field to true believers and those who are willing to take chances with impure choices. Not getting involved may be the riskiest choice of all. It will also not do to wait until science tells us what is best, since science doesn't get into such matters. We place our bets, but hopefully we can narrow the odds--by staying as informed as possible and relying on our experience and best judgment. Same goes for religion.

To err is human. Religion has its pros and cons, some more con than pro, and some folks would be better off without it. I look at some of them and shake my head. How could anybody believe in Joseph Smith's golden tablets, those magic glasses, or the special underwear; get suckered in to those therapy sessions by Scientology; think that a wafer of bread is transformed literally into the body of Jesus at Mass; or believe in talking snakes and jackasses and a Six Day creation? There but for the grace of God go I. But on the whole, I think religion been a positive force in history--as conduits for organized altruism and sources of meaning and morality for billions. Some of those people from other religions, even the kookier ones, amazingly enough, seem to be intelligent, productive citizens. I'm including Islam and Buddhism, where I've seen the religions at work in people's daily lives. So I don't think they have anything to be ashamed of.

You could make the same point about political opinions (as I just did in the previous post). Billions of people believe things in politics that I think are false, dangerous, and absurd. The best I can do is act on the basis of my own best judgment and realize I could be wrong.

My God is simply a Higher Power which embodies my sense of the sacred, encapsulates my ideals and morals, and suggests a possible explanation for the Anthropic Principle. (S)he isn't necessarily the deity I was brought up to believe in in church. No omni this, omni that. I'm cool with deism, pantheism, and panentheism, as well as classical theism. I favor Christianity because I'm attracted to the message of Jesus, embodied in the agapic principle--active, unconditional love of all people, including enemies and society's rejects. God is Love. What's so contradictory about that?

 

The joyful bet is even more joyful at losing; for then we might no longer need to count on our ego's being to prove that we have the leap of faith accomplished. We ideally just need to turn to the Ego to know for the trained attitude that God knows better along. Bur errors are determinable not to be there, and I'd only trust responsibility to myself in the end of the meaningful obligation.

So what does Luther say about mistakes that fulfill the sinner to know of the goodness of trusting, the ultimate light of the moral world for obliged difference? There is communication from producing, creating from having revealed, reading from writing, wording from listening?

I guess he only meant to presume the support of fellow sacrifice upon performance for our neighbour.:frown:

 

Why lie? There's a look on your face alright, I may not be able to see it, but it's funny just thinking about it! The superhuman came about because of the god-pushers like yourself who pretend god is more than supposition. Those who, more to the point, don't want god to be a person.

Your notion that not everything is physical can only be misplaced.

lol No, because it doesn't support yours. Nothing does. :-D

 

Okiefreak:

Love's what it is without being god.

 

First of all, I suppose one would have to identify that God. Is it the same God as described by the Judeo-Christian religions? If so, that God is the precise antithesis of love. That God is too human in his emotional appeal for acceptance that his desire for love merely makes him tyrannical and psychotic.

If it is a personal God that you are describing, one of a spiritual nature that cannot be described by any religious dogma, then how can it be possible for anyone except yourself to understand or experience that God? Of course, the universal need for community can delude people into believe that they each are experiencing the same God, but how can it be verified beyond any personalization?

God is not love. God cannot be love. God can only be a personal delusion that an individual accepts over reality.

 

Just need to reverse the formula. God is not the contradiction. I am the contradiction in myself. Reality is that the government has nothing on me in back payments of taxes to pay penalties for when I've paid for contributions so far in expectations for lowering my pension. I don't worry about any accountant just yet.

I guess people help each other no matter what. lol

 

God will always be the contradiction because god has no basis in reality other than a mere concept in the minds of men who prefer the comfort of fantasy.

 

Either that or just nothing for the not caring for your affaires. The contradiction could be freedom and death. lol I'm a Krishnamurtri fan.

 

That certainly explains a great deal. From what skimming I did, he seems like an early new-ageist. Silly.

 

Hey, I read your location is reality. Is that non-seperable and non-local?

 

My reality is non-idealistic.

 

truth being precisely what words obscure and deny.

 

I'm always puzzled by any down to Earth stance you would take. So everybody is equal and everybody finds the master is helpful only to push you to the labour he himself shall not do. Let's look at the protestant work ethic. Is it that the robots will take over? And then the ignorant man, controlling the key to freedom and uncanny conscience, will decide that abstractions are fear in our "hatred of love".

 

Well yeah, ignorance is bliss so joyful bet...

But is sending your children off to war really a joyful bet? Joyful bets, faith, ignorance, it's all believing what you want. Whatever makes you feel good, hell with facts and probabilities. We are a race of stupendous idiots where even our smartest can do really stupid things. Is joyful dismissal of reality really the best course for mankind?

 

Hey, (again) don't knock it. Some race of mankind can send it's children off to war in hope of finding a new start at love for testing one's morals. Man, those G.I. dances were something to behold; men bragging who would never brag before, men who found quick romantic moods to take the woman off to the side to explain how they were no longer afraid of courtship but afraid of battles and following instructions. and how men thought their lives depended on finding that woman for immoral risks to say No to. And the scandals were worth working latrine duty over.

Huh. Anybody prefer the hippy revolution's and disco craze? :sunny:

 

Anaximenes:

Everyone equal to themselves. We take ourselves for what we are in love alone. Every stance earthly - a flight of thought not found heavenly? Look for your own. :-D

 

I guess I'll just have to explain that the right have the contradiction by the proverbial Man. Human nature they called it. Easier for the contradiction being in the creation of activity in life happening. There was too much time on certain people's hands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9BtLRWbkmA

 

Yes,I do,Asmo. I had a thing called an 'education'.
The above was merely an attempt to inject a little humour in this sometimes very taut forum.

I DO apologise...I shall now go thrash myself with morrows scented suspenders....:2thumbsup:

 

Anyadontstop:

Whose? How certain were they?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKCunkbyL7U"]Cleanhead- Time Clash - YouTube